The Old Sheep Washery

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the centre of the village, opposite the village pond and sheep pound, and to the W of the Parish Church of St. Tydfil.

History

Mid C19 washery which does not appear on the Tithe map of 1840.

Exterior

Single storey structure with whitewashed stone rubble walls and roof of two bays with corrugated cladding. Small stone chimney stack at NW end. The NW gable wall has a small shuttered opening in its E side and egress for water to the stream bed in its W side. The SW elevation has an opening at its base to an internal basin. The SE gable wall has a wide opening on the E side.

Interior

Approximately one third of the surface of the building is taken up on the W side by a sunken basin for washing with water flowing into it from a pipe in the SE gable end. A flight of steps at the N end of the basin leads up to a platform with a stone flagged floor and low stone rubble balustrade above the basin, now partly demolished. In the NE wall are the remains of a fireplace. Allegedly the structure was used as a communal laundry.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II as a scarce roofed example of this building type in a village context.